Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I've just kidnapped them for a while...

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! You are all amazing.

oOo

Standing in front of the Infirmary doors, Severus debated furiously with his self-preservation instincts. As they had trudged back to the castle this morning, James and Sirius had casually tossed out an invitation to join them visiting Remus at lunch and blithely disappeared before he could berate them for such rampant stupidity.

Of course, the fact that he was here didn't say much for him either.

Visiting someone in the Infirmary was different from meeting under the academic umbrella provided by the library or the comforting anonymity the Room of Requirement offered. People would see a Slytherin visiting a Gryffindor. It would imply...a lot of different things to different people.

To be seen with the Marauders in public and not to be hurling hexes and slinging insults would be making a major statement. The Slytherins would take it as a betrayal. He found himself rather surprised at the lack of concern that thought evoked. Just over a year ago, he would have done anything to keep his status among his Housemates and by extension, the Death Eaters. But recently he had found himself questioning his decisions, re-examining old facts and finding them wanting.

He was no longer certain that taking the Mark was the right course for him.

Just what did he want?

oOo

"How about Beaky?" Sirius suggested innocently. "It suits him in either form."

Severus gripped his wand and Remus could almost hear him cursing Pomfrey's 'no-magic' rule in his head. Instead he reached over, grabbed the jug of water from the bedside table and calmly tipped it over Sirius' head.

Remus shot them both quelling looks, trying desperately to hide his own amusement. James didn't bother to hide his own grin, sitting back and regarding the show with interest. Before Sirius' outraged splutters could translate into thoughts of revenge, Remus cast a quick drying charm and looked around anxiously to check if Madam Pomfrey had seen. Thankfully she was fussing over another student, a firstie by the size of him and hadn't noticed his illegal spell.

"Thanks Moony," Sirius said gratefully before glaring at Severus who ignored him.

"No problem, Padfoot," Remus replied, "but try to be serious from now on. I'm not risking any more magic when Madam Pomfrey's around." James nodded his agreement though he did look a little disappointed.

"But I'm always Sirius, Moony!" he quipped flashing his trademark grin and they all groaned, even Severus.

"Let's get back on topic shall we?" Remus said firmly.

There was silence for a while as everyone considered. Severus slumped in his chair looking sullen. He obviously wasn't too eager to be awarded a patented Marauder nickname. Remus hid a smile as he remembered Sev's disgusted expression at the few names they'd already come up with. Too bad for the Slytherin that in this case, majority ruled.

"Blackie?" James offered wickedly.

"Too vague," Remus said absently. "It has to be something related to his animagus form."

"Well its black," James muttered but fell silent again, his face creasing with concentration.

"Maybe...Feathers?" Remus mused but discarded it at the low growl from Severus' direction.

"Shadow?" Sirius asked, thinking hard. Severus looked interested but then Sirius rolled his eyes, dismissing his own idea as some kind of temporary insanity.

"How about Nightwing, Padfoot?" James proposed. "He is black after all and it describes an owl pretty well."

Severus choked. "Nightwing?" he hissed incredulously. "Have you been sniffing some of Pomfrey's potions, Potter?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sirius said lightly but with a glint in his eye. "I think it suits you."

The strangled noise that Severus made just caused the two to grin wider.

oOo

Severus had to forcefully remind himself that he couldn't hex the inane grins off their faces. No matter how much he really, really wanted to. Black agreeing with Potter wasn't unexpected but Severus had the sinking feeling that this was his revenge for the jug incident.

He looked to Remus sitting up in the bed. The only sane person, other than him, in the room. But to his horror, Remus was looking thoughtful instead of dismissive.

"It's better than anything else we've come with," he conceded.

James smiled, looking smug that his idea had been chosen. "Majority rules, Nightwing," he said proudly and Severus tried not to gag. That nickname was just so...well to be honest none of them were exactly flattering when he thought about it. Padfoot? Prongs? And Moony was just so obvious.

That realization soothed his defensive anger somewhat. It was just a Gryffindor thing—no, a Marauder thing—to chose ridiculous names for each other. They weren't mocking him in particular. Which made a pleasant change. And at least it was better than Snivellous. Or freak. Or half-blood scum. This was actually the first time that he'd been given an affectionate nickname.

Severus could at least admit to himself that was probably the reason why he wasn't spitting and snarling his opinion of their stupid, juvenile, unimaginative... He sighed in resignation.

"I suppose anything's better than Prongs," he said offhandedly in response to their questioning looks.

"Snape!"

Severus smirked at Potter's predictable reaction. Both Sirius and Remus were laughing at James' antics and he felt a strange warmth in his chest that he'd caused that. Suddenly uncomfortable, he pushed that thought away and distracted himself by dropping more snide remarks about Potter's animagus form to fuel the fire.

Friends or not, Potter-baiting was just too satisfying to give up.

oOo

Lucius would never have believed the rumours if he hadn't gone up to the hospital wing himself for a Pepper-up potion (NEWTs were worse than dodging Aurors) and seen the spectacle for himself. Snape, the epitome of all things anti-social, had been sitting with Black and Potter around Lupin's bed. And if that hadn't been damning enough—they'd been laughing and Snape; blank, emotionless Snape who never seemed to feel anything but hate or pride, was smiling! Not his usual smirk but a small, genuine smile. Hardly more than a quirk of the lips really and yet it transformed his whole face.

To say Lucius was shaken would be putting it mildly. He'd finally found the real reason for Snape's avoidance and flimsy excuses. He was sure that rage would hit when the shock wore off but right now he had bigger things to worry about.

He'd promised the Dark Lord a potions genius and he wouldn't be able to deliver.

True, he could roll out the threats or try to bribe him back but in his gut Lucius knew it was over. He absently wondered if Snape had even consciously realized yet but shook it off. If there was one thing that Lucius Malfoy was good at, it was reading people. And what he'd seen in the Infirmary told him that now Snape had gotten a taste of acceptance with no strings, he wasn't going to settle for anything less.

Which left Lucius with a serious problem. He would get his vengeance on Snape for daring to betray him—after everything he'd done for the ungrateful little ingrate! (yes, the rage was starting to creep in now). Taking a deep breath, he pushed it away. He had to ensure his survival before he could indulge himself.

He still had his Gryffindor spy, though he'd noticed with some concern that Pettigrew hadn't been present in the Infirmary. He needed something else, something to soothe the Dark Lord over the loss of a potential potions master. But what...?

Replaying the nauseating scene from the Infirmary again, the solution struck him suddenly. The Dark Lord was furious over the last Auror raid, led by one George Potter. They'd lost three Death Eaters and worse, five crates of various poisons imported from different countries at great expense. Another reason He would be displeased to lose Severus. But James Potter was George Potter's son.

Lucius smiled a beautiful, beatific smile that made a gaggle of girls sigh as he passed. If they only knew what lay under his Malfoy good looks.

George Potter was head of the Auror division and the driving force behind all of the Dark Lord's problems. Bringing the tenacious Auror's son before his master would be better than having the man himself. The fool would have to live with the results. And it would serve as a warning to anyone else that would dare oppose them. There were many capable potions students. None quite as talented as Severus, but adequate enough. And the promise of vengeance should sate the Dark Lord's temper.

Darkly satisfied with his plan, Lucius swept off to find Pettigrew. It was time for his Gryffindor rat to earn his keep.

oOo

Severus noticed the change almost immediately. His fellow Slytherins sneered and spat when he came too close. Eating in the Great Hall became an exercise in endurance as his food would vanish, explode or transfigure into maggots in his mouth. He took to sneaking into the kitchens for meals or eating in the Room of Requirement. He spent most of his free time there with the rest of the Marauders or in the sanctuary of the library under the watchful gimlet eyes of Madam Pince. The common room was unbearable and he'd had to spell his trunk with a variety of nasty, not-quite-legal spells to keep what little he possessed safe.

He was never so grateful to be an animagus. He often stayed in the Room studying after curfew and flew to the private entrance for Slytherin owls to use when their owners were expecting packages that couldn't be opened in the Great Hall. That way, he was able to return to his dorm when the others were asleep to get a little rest himself and change out his books and clothes.

Despite his unceremonious ejection from the Slytherin fold and his new erratic style of living, he quickly fell into a routine. In all honesty, it wasn't that different from being at home—he just had more than one person to avoid. In darker moments he would curse his impulsive actions that led him to the Infirmary that day. He knew that any hope of becoming a Death Eater and taking his place at the Dark Lord's side was dead now. The power, status and prestige—the respect that would have been granted to him was irretrievably lost.

However, he had gained something unexpected in return. Though he kept as much of his problems from them as possible, it was impossible for Remus, Sirius and James not to notice the reactions of the Slytherins in class. To say that he was surprised when they defended him would be a gross understatement. No-one had ever stuck up for him before, apart from Lily and even that hadn't lasted long once they'd got to Hogwarts. But to see the three Marauders join him in hexing his attackers—even the usually gentle Remus showed a hidden ferocity and entered the fray!

To his consternation, Severus found that even though he was practically at war with the rest of Slytherin House, for the first time since he'd entered Hogwarts, he was truly happy.

oOo

Christmas was rapidly approaching and everyone was getting ready to go home for the holiday. Severus was staying at Hogwarts as he did every year. Remus would be staying as well as the full moon fell within their allotted time off and it was safer for his parents if he stayed away. Both Sirius and James decided to forgo going to James' family for Christmas, opting to keep him and Severus company instead.

Peter was staying as well, saying that he wouldn't leave Remus to suffer alone. Remus would have been grateful before, now it just took everything he had not to knock the pudgy Gryffindor's two-faced head off. It was getting more and more difficult for them to pretend. Peter's presence grated on them constantly but it seemed that he was finally catching on to their avoidance tactics and had taken to following them doggedly everywhere.

At least they didn't have to worry about ignoring Severus anymore. After the debacle in the hall a week ago when five seventh year Slytherins attacked him, subtlety went right out the window. Remus had to admit he'd been impressed with Sev's duelling skills. He hadn't even recognised some of the spells he'd been using. Obviously the Slytherins weren't taking his friendship with a bunch of Gryffindors well.

He grimaced at the thought. He should have seen it coming. And now Peter knew they were friends with Severus Snape—Slytherin, former arch-nemesis of the Marauders and ex-git. He really hoped that Peter didn't put this new information together with their attempts to avoid him and figure out that they knew his secret.

As soon as they were alone in the privacy of their dorm room, he cornered his friends. James and Sirius exchanged a worried glance when he mentioned his concerns while Peter was in the bathroom.

"I guess we'll have to be nicer to him then," James said grudgingly.

"I can't take this much longer!" Sirius growled angrily, flopping back on his bed. "It's driving me insane! We have to come up with something or I'm just going to snap and tell him to piss off."

Remus sighed, feeling miserable. Peter was like a cancer eating away at them and they desperately needed to cut it out.

"We'll have time over Christmas," he reminded them with forced cheer. "The castle will be practically empty and we'll have plenty of opportunities to slip away."

"I hope so," James said grimly. "I'm with Sirius on this. We have to come up with something soon or I'm going to do something desperate."

"Who's desperate?" piped Peter as he entered their dorm.

Forcing smiles, the Marauders changed the track of the conversation.

oOo

The Dark Lord had approved of his plan, informing Lucius that while it had been his incompetence that had lost them Snape and his potions skills, all would be forgiven if he presented Auror Potter's only child. The Dark Lord's plan both incorporated his short-sighted visions of vengeance and went far beyond them. It was times like this, catching a glimpse of his master's complex mind and ingenuity that reassured Lucius that he had chosen the winning side.

Everything was in place.

He would wait until the castle emptied for Christmas, when the professors and few remaining students would be too busy enjoying the festivities to keep their guards up.

James Potter would be in the hands of the Dark Lord before anyone even noticed he was gone.